The Two Faces of Leisure Activity Engagement: Harmonious and Obsessive Passion in Relation to Intrapersonal Conflict and Life Domain Outcomes

Abstract

The Dualistic Model of Passion implies that a person can develop either a harmonious or an obsessive passion for a valued activity. This study applied this model to investigate outcomes from leisure activity engagement. A total of 198 subjects responded to a Web-based survey asking undergraduate students to participate in a study on leisure activities. Results showed that harmonious passion for a leisure activity was associated with congruent self-guides related to activity engagement and positive life domain outcomes. Obsessive passion was associated with discrepant self-guides and negative life domain outcomes. Path analyses showed that intrapersonal conflict mediated the outcomes of passion on life domains. The findings support a dynamical approach to leisure activity outcomes.

Keywords:

• the Dualistic Model of Passion
• self-discrepancy theory
• well-being

The author is grateful for manuscript comments on drafts of this paper from Jostein Rise, Pål Kraft and Joshua M. Phelps. The author would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the final version of the article.

Notes

∗∗ p < .01.

∗p < .05

∗∗p < .01

∗ p < .05

∗∗ p < .01.